From the Head of Knox Sports Academy

Well done and congratulations to all who were able to participate in sport last Saturday, despite some early rain the day turned out fine and the majority of sport was able to be played.

I congratulate all those students on their results but also on the effort and attitude shown not only throughout the day but throughout this term. I congratulate those who have been selected in the CAS Rugby Opens and U16 team and and wish them all the best with this week and further selections.

I would also like to wish A J Tauber his Snowports team all the best in their competition in the holidays

I also encourage all students who are not going away to take the opportunity provided in the Athletic Development Centre and Lawson Centre over the up-coming holidays to either maintain or improve their fitness and skills throughout these holidays. Details are in this bulletin.

I wish everyone all the best for the holidays and hope you have a great rest and recover and look forward to the final four weeks of winter sport in Term 3.

In the 10 years Ben finished in 1st place closely followed by Charlie in 4th, Sean in 5th and Toby in 10th. These boys were awarded gold in the team’s event.

In the 12 years, William was awarded gold, followed by Spencer, Charlie and Matthew who crossed the line in the top 12. Their fine performances won them gold in the team’s event.

Congratulations to all cross country runners on their outstanding effort, great sportsmanship and team spirit. We wish Ben Williams, Charlie Moore, Sean Williams and William Constable all the best in the NSW Primary School Championships.

SENIOR SCHOOL SPORT

Athletic Development Centre – holiday times

The ADC (including Lawson Centre gym floor and Squash Courts) will be open every Monday, Wednesday and Friday of the holidays from 8am to 12 noon for students to come along and avail themselves of the facilities at no charge. This will also be open on Monday 18 July.

AFL

Mr Joey Britton, MIC AFL

Under 14AThe 14A took on an undefeated Riverview side in what was without doubt the match of the round.

The Knox 14A’s tackled the life out of Riverview in wet conditions to make a statement with a dominant 64-point win on Saturday, reinforcing Knox’s standing as one of this year's leading premiership contenders. Harry Rowles and Jude Yates, leading the way, Knox rocked Riverview with a 9-goal-to-one first half that set up their 12.12 (84) to 3.2 (20) win. The Kale Gabila and Braeden Campbell midfield partnership might only be 1 game old, but they worked fantastically alongside each other to dominate the Riverview midfield. Knox’s pressure was outstanding from the opening bounce. All game, they tackled, chased and harassed Riverview into error after uncharacteristic error, often pinning them down on their half-back line with no obvious escape routes.

Leading goal kicker for the season Jay Naganayagam made a switch to the backline and was outstanding in defence alongside Will Blackburn, Lachie White and Will Aylward, while experienced key position player Rhys Owen was also very good in keeping Riverview’s key tall to one last quarter goal. Hugo Thomas was giving his midfielders first use of the ball with Liam Puncher and Pat Bolger often found at the bottom of packs until an unfortunate injury to Pat Bolger saw him take no further part in the game.

The 14A’s have discovered what they are capable of against a quality side in Riverview and go into the long break with the confidence that they can beat any team on their day.

14 B Blue
It was another fantastic match of AFL on Saturday at the home ground of Acron Oval. The boys started the match a little complacent and seemed to not be quite switched on. However, after Riverview scored the opening goal in the opening minute of the game, the boys quickly switched on.

The Knox boys really dominated from this point onwards; kicking 5.3.25 in the opening quarter to 2.6.18. Knox kept Riverview goal-less for the

remainder of the game kicking a combined 12 goals throughout the match, leaving the final score at 12.11. 83 to 2.7. 19.

Some star goal kickers included Severin Fairfax with 3 goals and Ben Hollander and Jack Smith with 2 goals each. Special mentions go to Sam Matruglio whom played his best game of the season so far; Gabe Carmody for brilliant backline pressure and tackling and Declan Ravenhall for outstanding ruck work.

A final special mention goes to captain Severin Fairfax who played his last game of the season on the weekend, due to him moving overseas. Severin has been an instrumental player and leader in the team throughout the season. He’s showed true passion for the game. The team will miss Severin’s ruthless tackling power and domination for the football. It was a pleasure to coach you Sev. All the best with your AFL career overseas.

14 B Black
Knox Black played another two game round robin with Waverley and Riverview on Saturday 18th June, with Knox having beaten Waverley and been very competitive against this Riverview side in their previous meetings. The boys showed great promise from the opening bounce of the Riverview clash with Lachie Donaldson, Charlie Hennessey and Ashton Smith leading from the front out of the middle. Some handy work in the forward line allowed Tyler Arndt to kick the first major for Knox in the first half. They went into the break leading 7-6 with some nice passages of plays involving Robbie Ritchie, Owen Lees and Josh Laing. Unfortunately they couldn’t keep up the pressure on Riverview as they ran over the top of the Knox boys, but never stopped fighting which is a great credit to them.

The second clash against Waverley was played with sixteen on the field instead of the usual twelve as Waverley lent us extra numbers and the bigger format suited Baxter Wilson, Sam Bull and Robbie Ritchie with some nice passages of play. Henry Barnes was useful down back alongside Tyler Arndt. Angus Kitchin showed great promise up front and Cam Cormio was unlucky all day not to trouble the scorers but showed further improvement.
Thank you to the boys for a great term of footy and keep improving over the break and I look forward to a great finish to the end of the season.

Under 16
Knox U16 Black def. by Riverview U16. On what was supposed to be a cold and rainy day, we were only capable of showing our full potential towards the end of the game and unfortunately overall, we were out played by a surpassing opposition. With the support of our 1st XVIII, our valiant effort in the final quarter of the game demonstrated how well the U16 boys can play, setting a new standard in determination and application. Proving to be an extremely strong last line of defence, Jack Gutmann at fullback seemed to be like a wall difficult to pass. Lachlan Dowling and Ethan Ravenhall exerted themselves in the centre with sensational performances. Flourishing with the encouragement of the senior team, Luke Bray was able to switch his performance to next gear and show immense amount of tackling pressure. Our performance in the final quarter was a real testament to our character and determination. Unfortunately lapses in effort in the first two quarters proved to be two much to come back from.

Best Players: Ethan Ravenhall, Harrison Muller, Jack Gutmann, Lachlan Dowling, Henry Smith and Harry Potter.
Firsts
The Knox Firsts AFL Team played against Shore in round 4 of the home and away season. In the opening part of the first quarter, the Knox boys were dominant and extremely aggressive towards the opposition. They showed no reluctance or hesitation and at every contest were harder than the opposition. This can be said for the second quarter as well, but the Knox boys were able to get the ball to our forwards get on the end of the chain of play on a number of occasions. In the first half, the boys were a bit inaccurate in front of goal but were dominant all over the ground. This was due to smart decision making, good ball use, turning defence into attack and running in numbers. What was most impressive about the way the Knox boys played was the fact that they were selfless throughout the entirety of the match. The boys helped each other get into the game, this not only created scoring opportunities, but also helped players find some confidence within their playing ability and to back themselves when they gained possession of the ball. Overall, the Knox boys should be proud of their efforts on the weekend.

Fencing

Teamwork was the key when the boys practised their attacks and defensive moves during bouting.

They also took turns to preside which is very important for their fencing development so they can phrase the actions and understand priority of those actions. Presiding also helps with their cognitive development in terms of achieving focus and concentration. There were some exciting fight to the finish bouts and the boys enjoyed the experience as well as learning from each other.

Football

Mr Steve Roche, MIC Football

Knox 1st XI remain the only undefeated team on the table following a convincing win of 5-1 over Cranbrook this week.

Injuries and sickness threatened to derail the successful run, but also offered the Knox Football Program the opportunity to show its depth. As a result, the goals were liberally shared among Alex Duffy, Matt Lee, Lachlan Hemphill, Tom Lilley, and Nick Drummond. Head coach Kai Lammert was impressed with the execution of the game plan, and the team’s ability to retain possession much better than the previous match. The 1st XI are now 6 points clear of 2nd as they eye off Barker for next week.

Knox 4th XI enjoyed a dominant 2-0 win and are our Feature Game of the Week. Possession was the key to a strong performance by Knox in the first half, and following a number of chances to Patrick Ferris and Jacob James, the team were finally rewarded for their hard work when Jacob used his pace to net the first goal of the match. Perseverance from midfielder Chris Hogan and the versatile Ben Edwards, lead to an elegant long range effort from Alvin Li that finished in the back of the net for the score line to read 2-0. The second half offered onlookers a familiar spectacle, the only difference being the ball not reaching the back of the net. A wonderful defensive display from Hassan Ashard, Ben Edwards, Angus Pratt, and Ellery Bryant contributed to securing the clean sheet. In the other open matches, both Knox 2nd XI and 6th XI suffered defeats, the 5th’s drew 3-3 in a goalathon, while the 3rd’s and 4th’s registered wins for this round, and the 7th’s won with a forfeit.

The break had no repercussions for Year 10’s form, as yet again each team were victorious in their fixtures, which has become a bit of trend. The 10A’s Oliver Scott scored a hat trick in their 4-1 win, while the 10B’s, 10C’s, and 10E’s have laid down the gauntlet with Year 7 as the goal scoring entertainers, by each winning their matches 6-0. Finn Douglas managed to net 3 goals for the E’s, but it was the 10D’s encounter that provided three hat tricks and three braces in a result that, on paper, resembled a different sport with a score line that had everyone talking. Luke Henningsmith scored four, with Alex Zatts and Max Glover netting three goals a piece ultimately contributing to a 20 goal to 1 win.

The 9A’s and 9B’s were convincing in their match ups, winning 4-2 and 4-1 respectively. Great performances from Nick Boyd for the A’s, and Jack Tafe for the B’s, ensured both teams are just one victory away from securing first position on their league ladders. The 9C’s were equally convincing in their 4-1 win, Hugh Falconer-Flint contributed to a strong performance with a goal and Viruna Tennakoon scored a brace to back him up. The 9E’s lost in a close match 3-2, despite a great game and 2 goals from Charlie Sargent. The F’s also suffered defeat this week taking on Barker, unfortunately going down 3-0. However, the 9D’s continued the winning tone set by the higher grades, whilst raising their hands in the battle between Year 10 and Year 7 for the entertainer’s tag, winning their match 10-1. A fantastic display of goal scoring saw Daniel Se hit the back of the net five times in a man of the match performance.

Year 8 experienced a successful week after the long layoff, with each team recording victory over their opponents. The 8A’s Massimo Forlico and Jordan Segreto both troubled the scorers in their 2-0 win, to remain 2nd on the ladder by just 1 point. Lockyer Couvret had an outstanding game for the 8B’s, as did Clive Marolt, with both players scoring the team’s two unanswered goals. The 8C’s won their fixture in convincing fashion 7-0, with Jonathon Cole scoring a hat trick. The 8E’s, 8F’s, and 8G’s all found their groove as well in more modest victories.

The 7A’s defence remains the best in the league following their 1-0 triumph, with a great performance from Edward Ogilvy. The 7D’s and 7G’s both had big scoring wins of 4-0 and 5-1 respectively, maintaining their entertainer tags. The 7C’s were impressive in a 2-1 thriller, while the 7B’s drew in a goalless encounter. The 7E’s and 7F’s both suffered losses, but the much needed run has brushed away the cobwebs from the layoff, and they are raring to go!

Gymnastics

Congratulations to Benjamin Dempsey and Angus Laurie - both Year 10 – who recently competed in the Australian Men’s National Gymnastics Championships in Melbourne.

Having done so well at the Aussie Championships both Ben and Angus have now been selected to represent Australia in Level 8 Open at the Vitaly Scherbo Invitational in in Las Vegas, USA in January 2017. Well done.

Rugby

Mr John Rownes, MIC Rugby

The 1st XV ended the term with another fine performance defeating Cranbrook 36 – 15.

Two impressive efforts came from the 16C and 16E teams. Both teams lost their respective matches but they demonstrated great commitment. The 16E’s played Cranbrook 16C’s losing 5 – 7 but their defence has developed significantly. The alignment and shape throughout the match was good and they scrambled well against the Cranbrook attack. The 16C’s encountered a strong Kings team and although well behind at halftime showed great resolve to produce a very competitive second half.

The CAS U18 teams were selected and Knox is well represented across the two teams. The teams to play GPS on Tuesday 21 June at Shore’s playing fields at Northbridge are listed below.

Tennis

The event was held at St Ignatius School with all of the boys there nice and early for a warm up. The 1st team were all excited and feeling confident for the matches a head. Knox took on Oakhill in the semi-finals with the boys getting off to a shaky start splitting the doubles.

After that the boys went downhill being outplayed by their opposition in all singles matches. Knox ended up finishing 3rd out of the 4 final teams in the championship.

The boys have kept positive with them all learning from their losses to help them grow as a player.

Success for Pedro1st team member Pedro Papangelis of Year 9 played in the 2016 Springwood Junior Tour (White) tournament over the long weekend. Pedro played some great tennis to beat the No.3 in the tournament 6-1/ 6-3 in the semi-finals. He then went onto the final match to then beat the No.2 seed 6-1/ 6-2. This was a great win for Pedro seeded at No.1 seed himself and lived up to his ranking with all pressure on him.

Track and Field

Mr Andrew Ferris, Track and Field Director

With Term 2 winding down, the Track and Field action begins to heat up. Wednesday 22 June, is the annual School Track and Field Championships held at SOPAC. With the forecast for sunshine, it will be a fantastic day.

Track and Field training will be in full swing during the holidays, with the only adjustment being a later start time. Training will be 8:00am to 9:30am. Hurdles are Monday and all other events will be Tuesday and Thursday’s.

During the holidays, members of the Track and Field team will be heading to the Gold Coast to compete at the DownUnder Track and Field Championships. The warmer weather will give our athletes the opportunity to get some quality competition before the CAS season gets underway next term.

The 2016 Season Launch will be held on Sunday 24 July at Curagul Field. It promises to be a great afternoon for all boys and their families. We are very fortunate to secure the expertise of Olympian Matt Shirvington, who will also put the boys through a training session.

Cross CountryA big week of Cross Country saw the Knox harriers compete in two different races this week. On Thursday 16 June, 11 runners representing CAS made their way out to Eastern Creek for the CIS Cross Country Trials. Knox finished the day with three runners being selected to compete at NSW All Schools, one team champion, one individual champion and one individual runner up.

In the 13 year’s race, young gun Sam Rockliff lead from start to finish to win by an impressive 25 seconds. CAS was represented by six Knox runners in the 14 boys. Mitch Westhuizen improved 12 places from last year to finish runner up. James Constable had a great race to finish 8th and was well backed up by Angus Menzies and Ewan Shingler in 20th and 21st respectively. These four boys also won the teams race, a great result! Max Evans and Henry Roberts continue to be rewarded for their hard work at training with 33rd and 42nd place finishes.

The older runners also showed great improvement across the board with Henry Partridge and Jackson Croker in the 15-year age group, squeezing into the top third with 19th and 25th place finishes. The 17 boys continued the trend of improvement, with Tom Gordon and Ben Fitton finishing 13th and 33rd respectively.

Congratulations to James Constable, Sam Rockliff and Mitch Westhuizen who will now represent CIS at New South Wales All Schools early in term 3.

With the long weekend giving runners a rare weekend off, the invitational action returned with the 19th edition of the Trinity Relays. The event is traditionally seen as a fun way to turn the legs over after the CIS competition a few days prior. Knox was well represented with four teams. The mixed team made up of Ben Fitton, Mitch Westhuizen, Jackson Croker and Henry Partridge, all of whom were backing up from CAS duty on Thursday, managed an 8th place in the open division. Joined by Andrew Crosling and Isaac Roberts, Kent Felton, stepped up to run two legs of the relay and lead the open team to a 22nd place.

Zach Wyatt was the intermediate team’s MVP running two legs. He was joined by Aiden Kumarasinghe and Luke Bray. Well done boys on a 12th place finish. The junior team of Ewan Shingler, Richard Hildebrand, Angus Matthews and Max Evans, finished 14th.
Intermediates 12. Mixed senior 8. Senior 22. Junior 14

Volleyball

Ms Alexandra Charles, MIC, Volleyball

Winter VolleyballKnox kicked off the 3rds game against Aloysius with some excellent serving from Daniel Shen and Oscar Wu.

Aloysius struggled to return the serves and despite their height they couldn’t set up a strong attack. Aloysius fought back after our strong start but were unable to catch us in the first set as Knox won 25:23. Aloysius continued their momentum into the second set and had a strong lead and despite the excellent team work from the 3rds to chase every ball Knox wasn’t able to close the gap. In the third set Knox demonstrated their skills at the net with strong blocking and hitting however, the Aloysius 3rds played a strong set and took the game, 2 sets to 1.

Knox 2nds kicked off the game with some strong serves from Craig Xu. We had an amazing first two sets with Angus Lorimer dominated the net with excellent blocking and great serves from the whole team. After Knox taking the first two sets Cranbrook really stepped up the 3rd and took the set by two points. The Knox boys pulled together with consistent team work but the Cranbrook team pushed hard and finished off the game by taking the last three sets for a win.

The Aloysius boys had a strong start against the Knox 1sts but strong serves from Adam Barnes and excellent attacks from Jason Choon bought us back in the game and took us to win the set. Knox dominated the 2nd set to win with a 15-point lead due to our consistent team work and continued pressure at the net. Aloysius came out strong in the 3rd set but strong performances by Xiao Gong and Brian Yang brought Knox back into the game and set us up for our first 3:0 victory.

No Dogs Allowed Policy

To improve safety of the students and visitors to the school, we have a No Dogs Allowed policy. Dogs are prohibited, leashed or unleashed, on school grounds, unless they are assistance dogs, security patrol dogs or police dogs.

Dogs may not be brought onto any Knox Grammar School property, including the Prep and Senior School campuses and all playing fields, including Curagul and Gillespie Fields.

Signage has been installed and our Security Team has been asked to let parents and carers know that we are a dog-free school. If you bring a dog onto school property, you may be approached by the School's Security Team and asked to leave.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding on this safety initiative.

Mouthguards

It is school policy that we recommend all students wear mouthguards for training and games for AFL, Football and Rugby.

Coaches have been asked to check that students have them as training will be modified if they do not have them.